Transportable harp rack for panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transport solutions for glass panels face challenges in minimizing breakage during loading, unloading, and transportation, particularly when stacked vertically, as they tend to tip and fall, leading to high breakage rates and inefficiencies in space usage and weight management.
Innovation Solution
A transportable harp rack with a frame, securing assemblies, and resilient blocks that allow panels to be held in a spaced apart, vertical configuration, using panel tongues and a drive mechanism to securely clamp the panels, reducing the risk of damage and breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If glass panels are stacked vertically during transport, then space utilization is improved, but the panels tip and fall over causing breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The rack divides the transport system into modular components: a base member, multiple upright members extending at angles, and individual securing assemblies. Each securing assembly independently holds panels, allowing vertical stacking while preventing collective failure. The segmented structure enables space-efficient vertical arrangement without the domino effect of traditional stacking.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack introduces an intermediary support structure between the ground and the glass panels. The upright members extending at angles create a stable triangular framework that mediates the vertical load, while securing assemblies act as intermediaries between the panels and the frame, preventing direct contact and potential damage while maintaining stability.
2Reliability
If glass panels are held in an inclined position, then breakage is minimized, but additional support materials like paperboard and wooden pallets are required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the need for external support materials like paperboard and wooden pallets. The rack's frame structure with angled upright members and securing assemblies provides all necessary support functions internally. The resilient blocks within securing assemblies replace the cushioning function of paperboard, while the engineered frame replaces wooden pallets, simplifying the system to a single integrated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The rack employs composite construction combining rigid frame members for structural support with resilient blocks for cushioning and grip. This composite approach integrates the functions previously requiring separate materials (wooden pallets for strength, paperboard for cushioning) into a unified system where different materials work together within the same structure, eliminating the need for multiple separate support elements.
3Productivity
If a large number of glass panels are transported, then productivity is improved, but weight increases making transport difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rack utilizes dynamic angle optimization in its upright members, extending at specifically calculated angles to maximize load distribution. This dynamic geometric configuration allows the structure to efficiently handle heavy loads by optimizing force vectors, enabling high productivity through increased capacity while minimizing the weight penalty through efficient structural mechanics rather than brute-force reinforcement.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The harp rack effectively minimizes breakage and damage by maintaining panels in a secure, vertical position during transport, allowing for efficient use of space and handling of multiple panels without the need for additional support materials like paperboard or wooden pallets.
Implementation Method 1
move the resilient block into an expanded clamping condition in which a portion of the resilient block is moved to clamp the panel within the receiving gap
Data Source
AI summary
A transportable rack for transporting multiple glass panels with securing assemblies having a number of resilient blocks therein, at least partially defining a receiving gap, and a shaped spigot mounted relative to a drive mechanism to selectively move the shaped spigot relative to the resilient block between a rest condition in which a panel can be inserted into the receiving gap and to cause deformation of the resilient block into an expanded clamping condition in which a portion of the resilient block is moved to clamp the panel within the receiving gap.